Operation Christmas Child

Each year our Life Group tries to choose a service project for the holidays.  Last year we adopted a local family with 3 preteen/teen boys.  This year, as our kids got a little older and could participate more, we chose to do Operation Christmas Child.  I love OCC, and did it each year I taught school.  I was excited to be able to do it with the kids.

I had picked up a few things at Target when our dollar spot stuff changed and went on clearance, but I really wanted to take the kids to shop.  I explained to them exactly what we were doing and why we were doing it.

We hit up Walmart first.  (Why buy crayons for a dollar, when you can get them for 47 cents?)  We found a lot of things that would work for Olivia's box, but not as many for Logan's.

So then we headed to Dollar Tree.

The kids had the best time picking out the items.

Olivia wanted to buy her girl a TV.  Unfortunately, that doesn't fit in a shoe box, so we had to compromise. ;)

Then on Sunday afternoon we packed up our boxes!  I called them in to do it and Logan said, "To pack a box for the boy who doesn't get a Christmas gift?"  He totally remembered, even though we had shopped days earlier, and he got it!  That melted my heart, and I'm pretty sure we are adding OCC to our yearly traditions!

Logan picked dumb dumbs as his hard candy.  He was filling his Dory cup with them.

Olivia chose ring pops for her hard candy, but they didn't fit in her cup.  So she filled her cup with socks, toothpaste, and hair clips and added the candy to the box later.

Olivia wanted to give so much. She just kept saying, "I bet she would want ______." And then she started talking about the mom and how she might not get anything either and we should send her something.  I love her heart!

I had planned on getting pictures of the finished boxes at Life Group, but it never happened.  But both of the kids were so proud of their boxes. And we prayed that each box would reach just the right little girl and just the right little boy.

Not once did the kids ask for the items.  They knew and understood that we were buying for someone else.  But we did overbuy slightly.  So Logan got to keep a dinosaur and a ball, and Olivia got to keep a paint set.  It was a win/win for everyone!